Concert review: The Humans at The Public, West Bromwich
There is no doubt that Brummie singer Toyah Willcox enjoyed herself on stage during a very intimate gig in the Black Country.
The Humans
The Public, West Bromwich
Concert review by Lisa O'Brien
There is no doubt that Brummie singer Toyah Willcox enjoyed herself on stage during a very intimate gig in the Black Country.
About 50 people turned up to see the Kings Heath-born singer, actress and writer perform with her other bandmates from The Humans at The Public, in New Street, West Bromwich, last night as part of their Sugar Rush tour.
Promoting their new album with the same name, there was no shortage of hair swinging as the 53-year-old used the stage to her full advantage.
Waving her hands around freely and wearing a black dress, overcoat and black boots, she opened the gig strongly with Sugar Rush, followed by Titanium Girl when the bass definitely kicked in.
The band slowed things down for This Reasoning, which was mellow and calming and showed off Toyah's vocals. Sea of Size was one of the highlights of the set, with people in the crowd bobbing their heads – especially the catchy chorus.
She kept a good rapport with the crowd. The band, also featuring Bill Rieflin, Chris Wong and guest Igor Zarbzan, ended their set with Demigod from the 2009 album, and encored with their own version of These Boots Are Made For Walkin'.
In a career spanning more than 30 years, just by her stage presence it was clear that Toyah still feels as if it were yesterday when she was putting on punky performances of It's a Mystery for Top Of The Pops.